Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta once gave a telling reaction regarding the promise Emile Smith Rowe.

The Spaniard has led Arsenal to back-to-back second-place finishes in the Premier League, going blow for blow with eventual champions Manchester City. But one star player who has not really contributed much in that time is the young Englishman.

Once touted to be the future of Arsenal and forcing his manager to crack a smile when speaking about his future in 2020, the creative attacker has been hamstrung by injury and poor form. He is now on the verge of being sold to Fulham in a £35million deal – showing just how drastically Arteta has retreated from his admiration.

In 2020, when Smith Rowe was breaking into the first team, this bid would’ve been swiftly rejected. But now, with the player out of form and the promise he once showed dwindling, it seems as though Smith Rowe will leave the club he has been with since the age of 10.

Speaking to Sky Sports back in 2020, Arteta smiled in excitement as he heaped praise on his young gun, saying: “He’s a player with very specific qualities to play in those pockets in that position as an attacking midfielder. I am excited to work with him. I have been talking with him and I have followed him during his spell on loan. I think he’s someone who can be pretty impressive.

“I’m pleased by what I’ve seen from him. He needed that exposure and he looks more mature now. I think he will be in a much better place when he comes back in pre-season.

“The young players want to be important, they want to take the important numbers, and I like that. It’s a good step. and they can be important in the future, but it’s up to them to decide that.”

Arsenal’s manager added later during the 2020/21 season: “He’s scoring his first Premier League goal – an incredible season for a No. 10 of Arsenal means he needs to score 15 goals and give 10 assists.

“Then you are right up there with the top guys in Europe and in the league. He’s got the ability to do it but he hasn’t done it. We need to stay calm with him, give him the right support and step by step, I think he will be getting there.”

Yet, a groin injury in 2022 kept the midfielder sidelined for some time, stunting his progression, and in the past three seasons, he’s rarely started in an Arsenal shirt. Last September, Smith Rowe addressed his future at Arsenal after making his first club start in 499 days, saying: “Being at a massive club like Arsenal, we know there is so much competition.

“It is always going to be challenging, it is always going to be difficult to cement your place in the team. I have just got to keep believing in myself. Coming back and not quite getting back into the team, I have had to stay strong in my head and try to stay as positive as I can.”

However, it now looks as though the club have all but let the midfielder go, with Arteta seemingly throwing that smirk he once exhibited when speaking about his ace to the wind, telling reporters after Wednesday’s 1-1 friendly draw in the US against Bournemouth: “There are things happening in the background [with Smith Rowe] so we felt it was best not to use him.”

As such, it seems that the player once tipped to replace Mesut Ozil in north London will soon go west and join Marco Silva’s side.